- Africa
- Africa : 1 : Best countries for safari
- Africa : 2 : Best locations for safari
- Africa : 3 : The cost of safari
- Africa : 4 : Best time of year for safari
- Africa : 4a : Best locations in January
- Africa : 4b : Best locations in February
- Africa : 4c : Best locations in March
- Africa : 4d : Best locations in April
- Africa : 4e : Best locations in May
- Africa : 4f : Best locations in June
- Africa : 4g : Best locations in July
- Africa : 4h : Best locations in August
- Africa : 4i : Best locations in September
- Africa : 4j : Best locations in October
- Africa : 4k : Best locations in November
- Africa : 4l : Best locations in December
The best locations for safari in Africa
Africa
contains over a hundred locations
for high quality savanna safari
nineteen locations stand out from the crowd
Africa contains over a hundred locations which offer serious savanna safari, with each one offering a unique range of landscapes, wildlife, lodges and experiences.
On this page we list nineteen areas, starting with the four most popular. If this is your first safari, then there’s an eighty percent chance you will include one of these in your trip.
After that, we highlight various lesser-visited but equally high quality reserves, all of which are great, most of which are easily included in trips, but some of which are extremely remote and expensive to access.
Deciding which country or countries might be right for your trip will depend on a lot of factors, most prominent amongst which are your levels of outdoorsiness, your specific interests, your previous safari experiences, the time of year and your budget.
It sounds complicated, but we can usually figure out the right answers during the course of a quick phone call.
starting with the four most popular areas
Set in the northeast of South Africa, Kruger is a vast conservation area, easily the most popular safari destination on the continent, renowned for easy wildlife viewing and great predator photography. Guest accommodation is in around 150 lodges, most of which are extremely comfortable and reliable, as well as covering an unusually wide range of price levels.
by far the most popular safari area in Africa
At 21,000 square kilometres, Kruger is an absolutely vast conservation area.
The reserve contains well over half of the major safari animals in the country.
In some areas the wildlife viewing can be absolutely superb, especially for predators.
Kruger offers a vast range of safari experiences …
… from exclusive and relatively pure wilderness safaris …
… all the way down to really low cost mass market operations.
The area attracts over a million visitors each year, ten times that of the Serengeti …
… so avoiding the crowds can really be a major issue if you want an authentic bush experience.
The most important thing is to choose the right areas to visit.
… mainly comprised of self-drivers staying in vast restcamps and viewing animals from sedan cars on main roads.
However there are some notable exceptions in private concessions dotted around the reserve.
Kruger South is the richest area for wildlife in the main park but is also the busiest and most touristy area by a distance.
Kruger Central is a less busy sector of the main park, with slightly lesser wildlife densities, but featuring a couple of really high quality lodges.
Kruger North is the most remote and peaceful part of the main park and also contains a handful of higher quality lodges, but much lower wildlife densities.
… which generally offer much higher quality and more authentic safari experiences.
These reserves all contain a full range of safari wildlife.
In fact the wildlife viewing here is generally much better than inside the national park …
… largely thanks to very high quality guiding and the ability to get off road.
Unlike most of the main park, safari here is free from the crowds.
But the reserves do vary enormously in quality …
… the best ones generally bordering the park, being unfenced and further away from human habitation.
Here’s a quick run through the nine main private reserves …
Sabi Sand is a very famous safari area, containing the lion’s share of the high quality lodges in the region.
Timbavati is a similarly well known reserve, often visited in combination with Sabi Sand.
Manyeleti is a strong safari area alongside the main park, but desperately short of decent lodge options.
Klaserie is an up and coming area with decent wildlife and some really well priced camps.
Balule is another up and coming area with decent wildlife and an improving range of well priced camps.
Thornybush is the furthest west of the reserves connected to Kruger and contains a ramge of medium and higher quality lodges.
Kapama is the best known of the fully fenced reserves, detached from Kruger and a rather tame, but with some reliable lodges.
Makalali is also fully fenced and far removed from Kruger, but contains a couple of vry good camps.
Karongwe is the third fully fenced reserve and contains some modestly decent lodges at exceptionally low prices.
Set in the heart of the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana, Okavango Delta is a stunningly beautiful and vibrant wetland, with intensely rich and varied wildlife, offering a very wide range of wet and dry safari activities. Guest accommodation is in around 65 very high quality and famously pricey lodges.
arguably the best safari area in Africa
The Okavango Delta is a truly amazing place, a stunningly beautiful and vibrant wetland in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.
The real miracle of the Okavango Delta is that its floodwaters arrive here from Angola at the start of the dry season.
As the forests and grasslands of the surrounding Kalahari start to dry out, vast numbers of animals migrate into the delta.
During the May-Nov dry season the wildlife viewing in many areas is simply epic.
Even during the Dec-Apr green season the quality of safari remains much higher than most areas ever reach.
The Okavango Delta is divided into nineteen enormous sub-areas, most of which are private concessions containing just 2, 3 or 4 camps.
These areas offer hugely different experiences, all of which vary with the seasons.
A good trip will carefully blend two, three or more areas to provide a balanced and varied safari.
Some camps focus mainly on ‘wet’ experiences, so motorboat safari and mokoro canoe safari, which tend to be subtle and relaxing.
Other camps are much more focused on ‘dry’ vehicle safari, which provides more intense wildlife actions.
A few camps are even more hard hitting, with a pronounced focus on predators and their hunting exploits.
There are also camps which concentrate on specialist activities such as walking safari, balloon safari and horse-back safari.
In terms of style, properties range from relatively simple and earthy bush camps …
… to lavish, elegant and very pricey super-luxury lodges.
Access is by light aircraft, hopping around from camp to camp, out of the hub airports at Maun and Kasane.
Serengeti is the mother of all safari reserves, a most extraordinary place, best known for its enormous wildebeest and zebra migration, but with prolific wildlife year round. Guest accommodation is in a fabulous range of over 100 camps and lodges, offering a range of safari and cultural activities.
the mother of all safari reserves
At 13200 square kilometres, Serengeti is a vast and diverse reserve.
The key ingredient in Serengeti is the very rich soil formed from the ash of the volcanoes of Ngorongoro immediately to the south.
Combined with reliable rains, these soils are able to sustain truly remarkable densities of large animals.
The area is best known for its remarkable wildebeest and zebra migration.
Well over a million large herbivores munch their way around the region on an annual gyration like a great grunting lawnmower.
There is no beginning or end to this migration, but there are two major highlights during the year.
During the Jul-Oct dry season, when the herds are accessible on the plains to the north, with dramatic crossings on the Mara River.
During the Dec-Mar green season, when the herds are out on the southern plains and having their young, A time of plenty, especially for the predators.
Most parts of Serengeti also have rich resident wildlife which can be viewed year round.
Plenty of very interesting animals do not migrate in such dramatic fashion.
However there is a marked movement of smaller grazers in from the plains to the rivers of central areas during the Jun-Oct dry season.
These antelopes are followed in by large numbers of lions and cheetahs, providing the highest densities of these predators anywhere in Africa.
It is not unusual to see over 100 lions and over 20 cheetahs in a single day at this time.
The Serengeti area offers a wide range of safari activities.
The main activity in Serengeti is daytime vehicle safari.
A few key areas permit off-road driving, which greatly helps to make the most of major sightings.
Walking safari has historically not been a big feature of this area …
… but there are options to walk with genuine Maasai warriors in the south …
… and there are now a few specialist walking operations in the main wildlife areas.
Serengeti is famous for its balloon safari, there are now several take off locations.
The balloons mostly take 12 or 24 guests and flights are pricey, but it remains a very cool thing to do.
Serengeti contains a broad range of accommodation, from intimate tented camps to large commercial lodges.
It is usually best to combine 2 or 3 different locations in the reserve.
Serengeti is best known for its fabulous collection of mobile tented camps, which move around with the wildlife.
Most of these camps offer a comfortable, elegant, intimate and authentic safari experience.
There is also a good range of small permanent lodges, which tend to be slightly less outdoorsy.
Take a look at our comprehensive lodge listing …
Finally there are several much larger motel style lodges which tend to cater to corporate and budget groups.
We divide Serengeti into eight sub-areas, each with different landscapes, wildlife and seasonalities.
Serengeti Mara is the main area for migration action Jul-Oct and a wonderful backwater at other times.
Serengeti Southwest is the best area for migration action Dec-Mar, an unusual and peaceful backwater at other times.
Serengeti Southcentral is also good for migration Dec-Mar, but fabulous for Maasai interaction and palaeontology year round.
Serengeti Central is really solid for wildlife year round, but does experience high traffic volumes in core areas.
Serengeti Grumeti is a private area which offers an exclusive safari experience year round.
Serengeti West is the best area for migration action Apr-Jun, but less interesting at other times.
Serengeti North is a relatively marginal area with a couple of interesting lodges.
Serengeti Southeast is a very little-visited area with migration Nov-Mar and accommodation only in mobile bivouacs.
Serengeti is usually visited by means of a 7 to 12 night overland expedition through the greater region.
It is also possible to fly in directly from Kigali, Entebbe, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam.
Serengeti experiences high visitor traffic, so careful planning is definitely needed for a quality safari.
The good news is that Serengeti is vast and 95% of the visitors cluster in 5% of the area.
It is still very much possible to spend a week in Serengeti barely meeting another vehicle.
Set 200 km west of Nairobi, Maasai Mara is the portion of the Serengeti ecosystem that lies on the Kenya side of the border with Tanzania. It contains lovely scenery and very rich wildlife, but with serious traffic issues in the public access areas. Guest accommodation is in around 75 lodges.
the Kenyan section of the Serengeti
It is a stunningly beautiful area, with a great climate and extremely rich wildlife.
Choosing which of the fourteen areas in the Mara to visit is critical to the quality of your safari.
The first group of areas are the prime public access parts of the main reserve, but where traffic is often a major issue.
Mara Confluence is very strong for migration river crossings and has some nice small camps.
Mara Triangle is also strong for migration river crossings and contains some high quality lodges.
Mara Governors is famous for being the home of the original balloon safari …
The remaining areas are private conservancies where traffic is not an issue and a much wider range of activities is offered.
Mara North is the largest of the private conservancies and has a broad range of camps.
Mara Olare Motorogi is arguably the prettiest private conservancy and has some top quality camps.
Mara Naboisho is the third of the main private conservancies and also contains some cool camps.
Mara Southeast is a more remote private conservancy with one high-end camp.
The Mara has extremely strong resident wildlife, which is visible year round.
This includes famously high densities of predators, especially lions …
… cheetahs, jackals, spotted hyenas …
… and leopards.
Around 60% of the migration herds cross the border from Serengeti to spend much of the Jul-Oct dry season in the Mara …
… when mass river crossings are a particular highlight.
There’s also a good population of elephants, particularly amongst the riverine woodlands.
The key to a quality experience is choosing the right lodges.
Access is almost always by scheduled flight from Nairobi, often heading on down to the coast or cross border into Serengeti.
moving on to fifteen more specialist areas
Set 500 km inland from Dar es Salaam in the south of Tanzania, Ruaha is the second largest wildlife reserve in the country, an intense and hypnotic place to go on safari. It’s wonderfully remote, receives only around 5% of the visitor traffic into Serengeti and contains just a handful of small and very high quality camps, offering top quality safari guiding. Walking safari is particularly strong.
serious safari in arguably our favourite reserve
Although relatively little known, at over 20,000 square kilometres, Ruaha is actually Tanzania’s second largest wildlife reserve.
The scenery is wonderful, with the main river set against a backdrop of dramatic granite domes.
Although the river itself reduces to a trickle during the Jun-Oct dry season, it attracts high densities of wildlife from the vast dry hinterland.
The reserve is renowned for its impressive baobab trees, many of which have taken a severe battering from you know who.
There are large numbers of herbivores, characteristically with several species clustered together in one spot.
Predators include good populations of lions, with prides renowned for epic battles during the driest Sep-Nov period.
Sightings of leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas are relatively common, but wild-dogs are more elusive.
Vehicle safari is the main activity, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Walking safari is also unusually prominent here.
Safari guiding in Ruaha is amongst the very best in East Africa.
In fact Kichaka Ruaha offers arguably the best private guided safari experience in the whole of Africa.
Some camps are also able to offer bivouac camping in remote locations.
Ruaha contains several extremely good small camps, offering really authentic safari experiences.
Although the focus is very much on authenticity, the camps are not without a few luxuries.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Arusha, Serengeti, Selous, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.
Set in the north of Botswana, the Linyanti Waterfront is one of the finest safari areas in Africa, renowned for huge herds of elephants, intense predator action and wild-dog denning. Guest accommodation is in a diverse range of around a dozen high quality camps and lodges.
the best location for hardcore predator action
The Linyanti Waterfront is one of the best locations in Africa for wildlife viewing, a truly superb safari area.
During the May-Nov dry season wildlife from far and wide converges onto the this verdant waterfront.
The spectacle is similar to that on the better known Chobe waterfront to the north, but blissfully without the visitor traffic.
The Linyanti is sub-divided into four separate concession areas, each one exclusively operated by a single safari company …
Linyanti Kwando is renowned for serious guiding, predator action and earthy camps.
Linyanti Selinda is best known for rich wildlife and extremely high quality camps.
Linyanti East is has some very scenic waterfront and a good range of high quality camps.
Linyanti Chobe Enclave is has similar scenery but a more earthy choice of camps.
The accommodation on these four concessions ranges from earthy and authentic camps to extremely luxurious lodges.
Linyanti Waterfront is almost always accessed by light aircraft from Maun, Kasane and other camp airstrips.
Set in eastern Zambia, some 850 km northeast of Victoria Falls, South Luangwa is one of the finest safari areas in Africa, with very rich wildlife and some particularly strong walking safari. Guest accommodation is in around 40 mostly small and earthy safari camps and lodges.
an iconic, scenic and hypnotic reserve
At 9050 square kilometres, South Luangwa is a large and very scenic reserve.
It is centred on the Luangwa River, which usually flows year round.
The broad floodplains provide the rich grazing which enables to many animals to thrive.
The river is backed by stands of shady hardwood and dry miombo forests.
This is a very hypnotic place which people fall in love with and return to time and again.
Wildlife in South Luangwa is as rich as anywhere in Southern Africa.
High densities of herbivores include impalas, buffaloes, pukus, waterbucks, giraffes and zebras.
Along the rivers there’s plenty of elephants, hippos and crocodiles.
Predators include good numbers of lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and wild-dogs.
We divide South Luangwa into three distinct areas, which can be combined in longer stays …
The Central Sector is the most accessible and productive for wildlife, but also the most busy.
The Northern Sector is also productive for wildlife, but is more of a backwater, with several great camps.
The Southern Sector is marginally weaker for wildlife, but is more remote and scenic.
The main activity is vehicle safari, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Walking safari is a speciality in many camps. potentially including high adrenaline approaches onto lions and elephants.
Night vehicle safari is also widely offered, tends not to be as serious as it might be.
Motorboat safari and canoe safari are only occasionally available in the Dec-Apr green season.
South Luangwa contains over thirty high quality, intimate and authentic camp options.
There are very few luxury lodges here, the valley is very much aimed at a more outdoorsy audience.
Access is usually by large aircraft from Lusaka or Livingstone (Victoria Falls) into the nearby Mfuwe Airport.
Set 120 km southeast of Lusaka in Zambia, Lower Zambezi is a superb reserve, with very rich wildlife. Guest accommodation is in a handful of very high quality camps and lodges which notably also offer excellent canoe safari and motorboat safari out on the river.
a very beautiful prime wildlife area
At 4750 square kilometres, Lower Zambezi is large and magnificently scenic reserve.
It is centred on the mighty Zambezi River and its tributaries, whose sediments feed the rich floodplain grasses.
Back from the river lie beautiful stands of mahogany and ebony forests.
High densities of herbivores include impalas, buffaloes, kudus, waterbucks and zebras.
Along the rivers there are good numbers of elephants, hippos and crocodiles.
Some camps are regularly visited by certain elephants.
Predators include good numbers of lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and wild-dogs.
The main activity is vehicle safari, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Walking safari is strong in most camps, potentially including high adrenaline approaches onto lions and elephants
Motorboat safari along the main river also provides chances of up close interactions.
Canoe safari is also really good in this area.
Night vehicle safari is another local speciality and a chance to catch up with nocturnal predators.
Lower Zambezi contains half a dozen high quality, intimate and authentic camp options.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Lusaka or Livingstone (Victoria Falls).
Set 460 km downstream of Victoria Falls, Mana Pools is a really impressive wilderness, particularly renowned for awesome safari guiding, wild-dogs, hardcore walking safari and intense canoe safari, with guest accommodation in a dozen largely earthy and authentic lodges and camps.
hardcore safari alongside the Zambezi River
Mana Pools lies at the heart of a the hugely important cross-border Lower Zambezi Conservation Area.
The scenery is magnificent, centred on the mighty Zambezi River and its extensive floodplains.
The meandering waters deposit rich nutrients, giving rise to luscious grasslands and impressive ebony forests.
Large numbers of herbivores include elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes and hippos.
Predators include good numbers of lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and crocodiles
Perhaps most excitingly, Mana Pools is a very strong area for wild-dogs.
Vehicle safari is offered by all camps, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Mana Pools is one of the very best locations for walking safari in all Africa.
Some of the guides have been here for decades and have personal relationships with individual elephants and other animals.
Another real highlight is canoe safari on the Zambezi, which can also get rather exciting at times.
A few camps are also able to offer more sedate motorboat safari.
A few camps are able to offer high quality night vehicle safari, which is pretty unusual these days.
Mana Pools contains a dozen good camps, all of which are pretty authentic …
… some of which are rather luxurious.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Victoria Falls, Hwange or Harare.
Set in the northwest of Namibia, Damaraland North is a fabulous area of awesome desert scenery, unusually strong wildlife and superb remote lodges. If you could only visit one part of the country, this would have to be the one. We happily spend weeks up here in our spare time.
awesome desert area with strong wildlife and great lodges
North of Twyfelfontein the volume of self-drive vehicles falls away dramatically and the landscapes become a lot more wild.
The road climbs to a plateau of shattered red basalt, centred on the superb Palmwag Concession.
The few remote waterholes in this arid landscape are sufficient to sustain good populations of wildlife.
In fact the wildlife viewing around here can be really superb and the landscapes are certainly hypnotic.
Moving further north we encounter the Hoanib River, whose subterranean waters provide a ribbon of greenery through the desert landscapes.
This is where BBC Wildlife comes to film desert elephants, lions and giraffes.
The primary activity is vehicle safari, whether looking for animals or journeying from place to place.
But this is also a truly great area for walking safari and hiking.
Along the main dirt road that traverses this region lie a number of modestly attractive and lower cost lodges for self-drivers.
But to experience the area properly it is best to fly into in remote lodges out on the vast private concessions.
Or travel cross country on a private guided expedition, bivouac camping at spectacularly remote and beautiful locations.
Set in the northwest of South Africa, Tswalu is the largest private reserve in the country, with awesome Kalahari landscapes and a rich range of wildlife, notably including meerkats, aardvarks and pangolins. Guest accommodation is in just three very high quality lodges, which are almost always accessed by shared charter flights direct from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Non-malarial.
an incredibly high quality desert safari experience
Almost all of Rwanda is very hilly and quite heavily populated.
There is a good deal of commercial and small scale agriculture.
Most of the country has a nice rural feel, but with an increasing network of main roads.
The main attraction are the mountain gorillas of the Virunga Mountains to the northwest.
It is probably worth noting right from the start that visiting the gorillas is unavoidably expensive.
There are also chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest to the southwest.
There is some modest savanna safari in Akagera to the northeast, a very interesting conservation project.
But because the safari here is relatively weak, many visitors combine with Serengeti in Tanzania.
From a cultural perspective, there are also some very poignant genocide memorials, especially in the capital Kigali.
The very few decent accommodation options are mainly clustered around the gorilla areas.
Access to Rwanda is usually via the main airport at Kigali and occasionally by road from Uganda.
Getting around the country is almost always by road with a private guide and vehicle.
Set in the north of Botswana, Makgadikgadi is a vast and hypnotic open grassland, centred on a network of epic salt pans and dotted with isolated islands of palm and baobab trees. Guest accommodation is in a really interesting range of a dozen camps, offering a wide range of unusual safari activities, including habituated meerkats, Bushmen interaction, palaeontology and quad-biking.
meerkats, moonscapes and Bushmen in Botswana
The Makgadikgadi area is dominated Kahalari scrub forest and broad open plains dotted with islands of palm trees.
To the west lies the Boteti River, which arrives from the Okavango around July in years of high flood.
To the east lies a network of vast salt pans, an ancient incarnation of the Okavango Delta.
During the May-Nov dry season the wildlife is generally quite sparse in these parched desert areas.
Desert specialists include oryx, springboks, kudus, brown hyenas, aardwolves and aardvarks.
However large herds of wildebeest and zebras congregate around the few permanent water sources, along with their attendant predators.
Vehicle safari is the best way to view this wildlife, often punctuated with scenic picnics and sundowner drinks.
The camps to the east are almost unique for offering rooftop seats, which enormously boosts the safari experience, especially for kids.
These eastern camps are also the best location in Africa for meeting meerkats …
… and for fabulous quad-biking trips out onto the endless salt pans …
… sleeping out under a remarkable canopy of stars.
Walks with the local Bushman people are another real treat.
During the Dec-Apr green season, light summer showers bring the desert to life …
… and the area experiences a massive inward migration, with vast herds of wildebeest, zebras and elephants.
The area contains several camp options, the best of which are in the private safari areas to the east side.
Access is either by road or light aircraft from Maun or Francistown.
Set in the south of Zimbabwe, some 400 km from Harare, Gonarezhou is a remote, scenic, but little visited part of the vast Great Limpopo Trans-Frontier Park, with guest accommodation in fewer than a handful of good quality camps, offering a good range of well-guided safari activities.
vast and massively under-utilised reserve
At 5053 square kilometres, Gonarezhou is the second largest reserve in Zimbabwe.
The reserve is connected to the much larger Kruger National Park and contains a similar range of wildlife.
Predators include some relatively elusive lions and leopards.
The main activity is vehicle safari, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
There is also some interesting Bushman rock-art in the area.
Accommodation is headlined by the very high-end Singita Pamushana Lodge.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Johannesburg, Kruger or Harare.
Set in western Zambia, some 200 km north of Victoria Falls, Kafue is a very large and impressive but vastly under-utilised wildlife reserve, with guest accommodation in around a dozen camps and lodges, offering a good range of well-guided safari activities, notably including lots of lions and excellent motorboat safari. No giraffes.
a wonderful and little-visited wilderness
At 22500 square kilometres, Kafue is an enormous reserve of largely flat landscapes.
The vast majority is comprised of dry miombo forest, with low wildlife densities.
To the north lie the Busanga Plains, a seasonal floodplain which attracts strong wildlife Jun-Oct.
Wildlife is also clustered along the Kafue, Lunga and Lufupa rivers, with their ribbons of hardwood forest.
A very wide range of herbivores includes pukus, impalas, sables, roans, zebras and giraffes.
Along the rivers there are good numbers of elephants, hippos and crocodiles.
The Busanga Plains are particularly known for the large herds of buffaloes and red lechwes that gather during the Jul-Oct dry season.
There’s plenty of lions in the park, notably around those large buffalo herds.
Other more elusive predators include leopards, wild-dogs, spotted hyenas and occasionally cheetahs.
The main activity is vehicle safari, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Motorboat safari is a big deal in those camps which are along the main rivers.
Walking safari is strong in a few specialist camps, potentially including high adrenaline approaches onto lions and elephants
Night vehicle safari is another local speciality, although not many camps deliver it well these days.
Kafue contains just a handful of really good camps.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Lusaka or Livingstone (for Victoria Falls).
Set 200 km inland from Dar es Salaam in the south of Tanzania, Selous (Nyerere National Park) is the only major wildlife reserve on the humid coastal plateau and has a uniquely languid and tropical feel, with a good range of wildlife, notably including wild-dogs and excellent motorboat safari.
enormous, uniquely languid and tropical reserve
At over 45,000 square kilometres, Selous is the largest wildlife reserve in Tanzania and is actually larger than Switzerland.
Nyerere National Park is the northerly part of the reserve where all of the photographic safari camps are located.
The reserve is centred on the broad Rufiji River which lazily winds through a network of open lagoons.
The palm tree forests around these lakes are particularly atmospheric and attractive.
These fertile areas attract large concentrations of wildlife, especially during the long Jun-Oct dry season.
The riverine areas are surrounded by vast arid hinterlands and woodlands with much lower wildlife densities.
There is a wide range of herbivores including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and many species of antelope.
Predators include decent populations of lions, leopards and spotted hyenas.
Elusive African wild dogs are regularly sighted around the central lake network.
Vehicle safari is the main activity, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Some camps also offer modest walking safaris, but these rarely include deliberate approaches to lions and elephants.
Motorboat safari is a real highlight in Selous and tends to produce some really strong sightings.
Largely due to time spent out on the river, the birding here can be very strong and varied.
Some camps are also able to offer bivouac camping in remote locations.
Selous contains several good small lodges which focus on offering quality safari experiences.
Although the focus is very much on authenticity, the camps are not without their comforts.
Access is usually by light aircraft from Arusha, Serengeti, Ruaha, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.
Set in the far west of Tanzania, Katavi is an extremely remote safari area. Essentially a seasonal floodplain, the central sweetspot at the heart of the reserve boasts the highest biodensity of any reserve in Africa during the Jun-Oct dry season. Unusual highlights include epic hippo and crocodile action. Guest accommodation is in a handful of good quality camps.
very remote reserve in western Tanzania
At 4500 square kilometres, Katavi is the third largest national park in Tanzania behind Ruaha and Serengeti.
Katavi is so remote and expensive to access that it has become something of a Holy Grail for safari heads.
It is centred on open grasslands which become vast wetlands during the Nov-May green season.
During the Jun-Oct dry season the wildlife is prodigious, with over 4000 elephants, plus loads of giraffes, zebras, hartebeests and topis.
Predators are also well represented, with good numbers of lions, cheetahs and leopards.
Unique sightings include vast herds of buffaloes, incredible hippo pools and tunnelling crocodiles.
Vehicle safari is the main activity, often punctuated by picnics and sundowners.
Unusually for Tanzania, off-road driving is largely permitted, which makes a huge difference.
Walking safari is also widely offered, although rarely includes deliberate approaches onto big animals.
Katavi contains a handful of extremely good small camps, offering really authentic safari experiences …
… the best of which is the renowned Nomad Chada Camp.
Access is usually by light aircraft shared charter from Arusha, Serengeti, Ruaha, Selous, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar.
Set 260 km southeast of Nairobi, Tsavo East is a vast arid reserve, reasonably scenic in parts, but with naturally sparse desert wildlife. The southern part of the reserve is busy with budget traffic along the Nairobi-Mombasa road, but the north is much more remote and home to a fabulous elephant rescue and rehabilitation project.
the most intimate elephant experience in Africa
At 13,747 square kilometres, Tsavo East is a vast tract of arid land, originally known as the Taru Desert.
The reserve is flanked to the west by the impressive Yatta Escarpment.
Below the escarpment runs the substantial and reliable Galana River, with its important stands of riparian vegetation.
The southern plains are dominated by elephants, which are sustained by a network of pumped waterholes.
The usual predators are all present, but not easy to find in this environment.
North of the Yatta the landscape is largely acacia scrub, with sparse populations of a wider range of species.
Vehicle safari is the main activity in this reserve, where walking safari is not permitted.
Accommodation is mainly in a range of rather ordinary lodges down by the main Nairobi-Mombasa highway in the south.
But the real highlight is the fabulous elephant release project at Ithumba Hill in the remote north.
Access is usually by road from Nairobi, often continuing on to Watamu or Mombasa down on the coast.
Set in the remote north of Uganda, Kidepo Valley is a real trophy location for experienced safari travellers, with impressive landscapes and a good range of wildlife. Guest accommodation is in just one good quality lodge. Dry season is Nov-Apr, converse seasons to most safari areas.
very remote safari area between Uganda and South Sudan
At 1442 square kilometres, Kidepo Valley is a substantial reserve, the heart of a large conservation area which crosses into South Sudan.
It is comprised of sweeping grasslands, drained by seasonal rivers and backed by impressive granite mountains.
Wildlife is surprisingly diverse, with 77 mammal species including elephants, zebras, buffaloes and waterbucks.
Predators include lions, leopards and cheetahs.
The main activity is vehicle safari, often punctuated by scenic picnics and sundowner drinks.
Some modest walking safari may also be possible, but is unlikely to include deliberate approaches onto potentially dangerous animals.
This area experiences very low visitor numbers, so every single person represents a significant contribution to conservation.
The best place to stay is undoubtedly the high quality Apoka Lodge.
Access is by shared charter flight from Entebbe.
Zakouma National Park is a very substantial and important conservation area, remotely located in the southeast of Chad. It is an area of high grasses, acacia forests and seasonal wetlands, home to a full range of wildlife including elephants, lions and buffalos. The reserve contains a few very simple lodge options, which can only be visited as part of a private-guided expedition.
very little-visited savanna safari area in remote southeast Chad
Zakouma National Park is located in the southeast of Chad.
After decades of poaching, the reserve now has a fast increasing elephant population.
Rare Kordofan giraffes come in to drink.
Crowned cranes and clouds of red-billed queleas.
The reserve contains plenty of leopards, but they are relatively rarely sighted.
The reserve’s population of around 140 lions are more frequently encountered.
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